U.S. military commanders have been justifying involvement in the Iran war by invoking Christian rhetoric about biblical “end times,” according to a series of complaints made to a religious watchdog group.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) said it has received more than 200 complaints from service members across the United States Armed Forces.
One complainant from a unit that could be deployed “at any moment” told MRFF that their commander had “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ”.
The non-commissioned officer (NCO) who made the complaint also said the commander had told them that “President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth”.
The NCO’s complaint was filed on behalf of 15 troops, including 11 Christians, one Muslim person and one Jewish person. The complaint was first shared by MRFF with Jonathan Larsen, an independent journalist.
Mikey Weinstein, president of the MRFF and a U.S. Air Force veteran, told The Guardian: “Anytime Israel or the US is involved in the Middle East, we get this stuff about Christian nationalists who’ve taken over our government, and certainly our US military.”
He added: “Military members are not really able to stand up for themselves, because your military superior is not your shift manager at Starbucks.”
Weinstein said the complaints showed a clear violation of the separation of church and state, saying the reports indicated an increase in Christian extremism in the military.
He noted that the complainants “report the unrestricted euphoria of their commanders” who perceived a “‘biblically sanctioned’ war that is clearly the undeniable sign of the expeditious approach of the fundamentalist Christian ‘End Times’.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is known for his embrace of Christian nationalism, said he has been praying for U.S. forces on the front line.
He insisted that prayer has played a role in “every decision” that the Trump administration has made.
At a press conference Monday, Hegseth declared “May Almighty God watch over you and his providential arms of protection extend over you […] Godspeed, warriors and keep going."
He later said: “I do pray for them; my wife prays for them. Our family prays for them. Our cabinet prays for them.”
“None of this is done on a whim,” he added.